NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. crafted a perfect persona borne of belief in himself he often walked around wearing sunglasses and a stone-faced look. But that hug never came. He clearly understood that people were heartbroken over the death of such a legendary figure and perhaps thats why they were lashing out. and Ken Schrader knew there was trouble. As they signed what was sure to be a lucrative souvenir contract, Earnhardt suddenly said, "That's if I make it that far." "I walked out after that. For me, Earnhardt was a man whom everyone wanted to be. Kenny Schrader came to Victory Lane and said, I just want you to know that I saw Dale, and it aint it aint good., Michael Waltrip, Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardts car owner and longtime best friend Richard Childress said: I thought it was just another crash. If only it had happened sooner. 20 machine took a hard right-hand turn and drilled the concrete wall with a perfectly centered shot from the nose of his Pontiac. Once its extensive crash report was released which included a number of investigation avenues and crash scenario re-enactments it embarked on a number of projects that included the creation of an R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina. How would Earnhardts death affect him? If they could drop out of school, accomplish great things, help out friends in need, own businesses, including a race team, and yet also dictate their will on many people, that would be a great life. Press J to jump to the feed. Just being honest, over the years what I remember is hearing his head was turned in an unnatural position and he had blood coming form his ears. Just a guess, but it's quite haunting to think about. And I was like, 'Man, I'm going to have to do this without that for the rest of my life.'". Does Dale It certainly didnt take long for fans of Dale Earnhardt Sr. to begin threatening Sterling Marlin following the fatal accident. He shunned any head and neck safety restraint, unlike some of the drivers in the field that day. While doing so, he was interviewed about the race. "Yellowstone" Stars Debut Relationship On Instagram, Dale Jr. Do I write about the time he let the clutch out of his car at the gas pumps and his car lurched forward, almost hitting a number of people? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Following a huge outpouring of grief from his legion of fans, the NASCAR industry made driver safety its number one priority. Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. He was racing at Daytona International Speedway and was on the last lap. Though you have intimate knowledge of those moments, you are a keeper of that delicate information. WebAmazing yet sad Documentary on the day Dale Earnhardt Sr. Died. You can see blood, the bent steering wheel . safety improvements in the sport over the past 20 years, which saved Ryan Newman in a scary crash at the 2020 Daytona 500. The hardest part was yet to come. Earnhardt Jr. recalls the day of his dad's fatal crash (3:04), 'How did we let this happen? I really appreciate you for who you are and the friend youve been to me.. When the news was brought to them from the emergency room, everyone there in that moment who talks about it now says what they remember most is silence. NASCAR's safety revolution was finally taking shape. Calls of warning that were shrugged off by authorities or documents that revealed a corporation knew it was flirting with disaster but went on doing it anyway. Unlike his fellow competitors, who didn't learn Earnhardt was dead until well after the accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Schrader knew how bad it was the moment he poked his head into the battered No. Earnhardts open-faced helmet had rotated forwards when he hit the wall, exposing the back of his skull. It makes me feel close to you, Kenny. The evening before the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt held a business meeting with old friend and rival Terry Labonte. The accident happened a half-mile from the finish of the NASCAR season-opener. He uncharacteristically bounded through his media obligations and answered hard questions about NASCAR safety, including in an interview with Ed Hinton of the Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel, who was reporting on those issues as part of a series running that week. Crash: Im Glad It Was You, Alligator Bites Off Leg Of Elderly Man At Florida RV Park, Coors Stock Goes Up As Bud Light Stock Takes A Hit Following Controversy, 6 Facts Youll Be Surprised To Learn About John Wayne, Cody Johnson Drops Details About His New Album, Crowd Cheers As Riley Green Slams BUD LIGHT With Lyric Swap, Anheuser-Busch CEO Breaks Silence As Stocks Take A Hit, Relive The Country Music Sing-Off Between Steve Austin And The Rock. I started off my column expressing my dislike for the assignment because I didnt really know what to say. The 20th "Dale said he just had to get her up in his lap and just hug on her awhile until she got over it," Schrader said. Why Bubba Wallaces Talladega win is such a big moment for NASCAR. But at the same time, he takes comfort in that one of the last people Dale might have seen and heard was Kenny, a friend who was there for him.. Dale Earnhardt Jr. remembers back to what the day his father's fatal crash was like. Months later, when the photos of the car were released as part of NASCAR's presentation of its crash investigation, hardly any image didn't include blood stains. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. NASCARs crash report, published in August 2001, stated: Dale Earnhardt's death was most likely caused by a blow to the back of the head not from one single cause but from a combination of unusual factors. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. It was a huge story and time to go to work. "I went back in my bus in the room and shut the door to my bedroom and just sat there," Earnhardt Jr. says. It looked as though his save from Friday's IROC race might happen again. Earnhardt, one of the sports biggest names, died in a last-lap crash as he tried to protect Waltrips victory. Behind Helton sat NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. in the "crow's nest." Today is the 10th anniversary of the day Dale Earnhardt died. I'd be at my car getting in and he wouldn't come up to me, you know? Has there ever been a telling by a doctor, worker, or anyone on the scene of Dale Earnhardts fatal crash? Stream now on demand. He had a host of other injuries, including fractures to his ribs and left Some even made phone calls to the shop that Marlin owned in Mooresville, North Carolina. I didnt idolize Earnhardt I dont really idolize anything. Earnhardt suffered a broken ankle, broken ribs, a fractured sternum and cuts to his scalp and chin. He drafted with me in those last few laps and as long as we were leading, then everything was fine.. The trauma room was just inside the door. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. In the final 20 minutes of their two-hour podcast, Ken was informed that he has been the most requested guest in their 288 episodes. Schrader was sandwiched between the concrete barrier and the nose of Earnhardt's ride. To this day, all Schrader will say of what he saw is, "I just knew that it wasn't good. His right-rear corner was struck by Schraders left-front, which crucially accentuated the angle of Earnhardts car before it nosed hard into the unprotected concrete. #DJD pic.twitter.com/yuUtVhuJcB, NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) March 11, 2020. But I think we were all also thinking, 'Where do we all go from here? And Earnhardt's 2000 resurgence as a title contender had the old-school fandom worked into a frenzy. In the days leading up to the race, his car's garage stall was in between those of Dale Jarrett and Bill Elliott, both of whom were fitted for devices by HANS co-inventor Robert Hubbard. But this time he stopped to shake hands, laugh it up and hug it out. His non-fatal injuries were eight broken ribs, a broken left ankle and fractured sternum. But anybody Ive talked to before--and Ive even got a lot of e-mails from fans who know me only from watching me doing interviews--they said they knew it was serious from that interview.. Schrader had to talk to his 11-year-old daughter, a fan of The Intimidator and friend of Earnhardts daughter, Taylor. As his good friend Earnhardt was doing, Marlin was simply trying to win the Daytona 500. But what happened was clearly an accident and Marlin made sure to get that point across (h/t Motorsports.com). The News-Journal did a special section on Earnhardt the week after he died and each reporter had to write their fondest memories of him. Earnhardt Sr. was going 150 miles an hour when he hit the wall at the angle that he did. It was But this time, he made a point to come see me.". 19 years after the crash, Ken stopped by Dale Jr.s podcast, Dale Jr. Download, and it got quite emotional, as Dale Jr. read Ken a letter he wrote thanking him for never speaking about the crash or what he saw. 3. It did a pirouette, landing on the hood of another car and barrel-rolling twice before landing atop teammate Bobby Labonte's car and eventually sliding to rest, destroyed, in the backstretch grass. "I feel pain for you to have to carry that memory, but you carry it for me you carry it for anyone who's ever cheered for him. All rights reserved (About Us). The death of Dale Earnhardt from a crash during the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 is considered the darkest day in the history of NASCAR. But the people who lived that day in the arena with the man in his final hours still find themselves wrestling with the reality that Dale Earnhardt is gone. The summer before, Dorothy Schrader had spent a week with the Earnhardts on their yacht. Its just the nature of the sport. There were just so many questions. "I've got it all right now, Darrell, I've got it all!" Fellow racer Ken Schrader was the first to get to him and realized he was dead, per ESPN. 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